Three Times
by roamingandwriting
Summary: Three times Isabella and Phineas worked like a team, three times they competed. Three times they hated, three times they loved. A collection of Phinabella stories, each based on the audience's requests. Each chapter is longer than 2,000 words. Some will be sad or bittersweet while some will be happy. Rated T for some minor sexual themes and some minor language.
1. Teamwork

***Author's Note* Surprise! Here's a new story that I'll be continuing. Each chapter will have three times that Phineas and Isabella did something, or demonstrated something together. This one is, as evidenced by the chapter title, all about their teamwork. This will have far longer chapters than Gone In a Flash, along with some more mature themes at times. Gone In a Flash will not have any language or themes like this, and is, of course, far shorter in chapter length.  
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**There's a catch, though; I am only doing YOUR requests! There are a few rules- it can't be explained for me. You can leave your suggestion, but don't elaborate on how to do it. If you leave an idea of what you had in mind with it, then I'll be really happy. Just remember, I won't do all requests, but the first two are definite if they follow those rules. Hope you all enjoy!**

**Age 11- Paintball, Game One**

Jeremy swung his hand down on his guitar, the chord ringing out in a crisp, clear sound. It floated through the room for but a moment, before it was bombarded with many more strums after it. Jeremy began to hum into the mic, music flowing around him. The hisses and splats of the paintball game in front of him and his band made him laugh as the song began to kick off.

The boys had created an entire paintball arena, complete with jetpacks and a live band. Paint splattered the walls, the large tower in the middle glowing with lights that shone throughout the neighborhood. With no parents home until the next day, the brothers had gone all out.

Inside the metallic dome were rows and rows of cover, each smeared in stray shots. Phineas and Isabella were crouched behind two rows of hard, cool metal as paintball bullets sprayed the walls around them.

"Isabella, I'm gonna need that ammo!" Phineas shouted over the thwapping of the paintballs, his eyes darting from Isabella to the boy open fire at them. He swung his pistol over his head, blind firing at their attacker; when no thud sounded, he knew none of them had hit. The click that resonated from his paintball gun showed the lack of ammo. "Now!" he said, as if to clarify when he needed the ammunition. The firing continued, and Phineas looked over at the paint splattering around him.

The guns had been designed by the two brothers to hold large amounts of ammo; the paintball exploded before it hit the person, so no one would get hurt, which was just the way the boys liked it. It also added to the intensity of the game, seeing as each shot had a blast radius that could hit its target even if they had dodged; players had to be nimble and quick.

Isabella rummaged through her bag, trying desperately to find one more package of ammo. When her hand hit the box, she grabbed it hurriedly in excitement. The brothers had sealed each ammo pack for maximum difficulty, something she cursed them for now; she immediately took the curse back. Phineas just looked _so cute_ with his little helmet, he looked like how he did with Meap…. his voice cut through her daydream, along with the hiss of the shots.

"_Isabella! _I hate to shout but-" his voice cut out as the fire rate increased; someone else had joined the fray. "I can barely hear anything over the sound of this gunfire! I really need that ammo!" The enemy didn't know he was out of ammo, seeing as he was pinned down. For all they knew, if they rushed him now he could pop them in a second.

"I know, I know! Sorry, Phineas!" Isabella shouted back, and grabbed the box, desperately searching for a tab to pull. The constant barrage of paint-infused shots didn't help her at all. When she failed to find the tab, she simply pulled the box up to her mouth. Tearing off the top with a voracious fervor, she pulled out the clip. Making eye contact with the determined-looking boy to her left, she tossed him the ammo.

He returned her help with a gracious, roguish smile. She felt her heart go aflutter as he loaded up his pistol and rifle, before tossing her the former. He kept the latter for himself, gritting his teeth.

"On my count, Izzy," he said. They had ducked down further under cover, both their hands rubbing up against the battered wood that made up their only protection against the hail of paintball shots raining over them. She nodded with a blush in her cheeks, and returned it with a wink.

"Three," he started. She made sure her gun was locked and loaded, and bit her lip as the anticipation of the upcoming fight finally hit her.

"Two," he continued, quieting down as the shots began to slow. Their ammo might have run out.

"One," he said, glancing at Izzy. "Ready?"

Her face was still tinged with a slight blush, her face fierce and determined. Phineas almost laughed, she was so cute. When that thought hit him, his eyes widened.

_Probably the pressure of the game. That's all. What a weird thought._

"Ready," she said with excitement tingling in her voice. He pulled her up by her hand, and the two faced their enemies. Their ammo was almost spent, but their opponents had saved some for just that moment. As they opened fire, Phineas and Isabella returned it.

Phineas fired wildly, hitting two of the new combatants. When a stray shot grazed his ear, he threw himself to the floor to avoid a shot that counted. Isabella had her pistol out, hitting with pinpoint accuracy. She fired one shot into one of the last few enemies around her, hitting them directly in the chest. She bit her lip again, a sign of her intense focus, and fired two more shots in quick succession. She hit twice, both on the same girl in front of her. The original attacker looked at her with wide-eyes, and dropped his gun.

She grinned, helped Phineas to his feet, and the pair dashed towards the next hallway, behind the last guy there. She winked at him before firing a shot into his chest. She picked up his gun and ammo clip before looking down at her previous enemy.

"Sorry," she said with a grin. "Can't have any stragglers."

Phineas laughed, and held up his hand for a high five. "We make a good team, Izzy."

She giggled. "We sure do, Phin." The pair smacked their hands together, and kept them locked there as they ran down the hallway into the next fight.

**Age 12- Pranks**

Phineas and Isabella were crouched in Phineas and Ferb's tree, a large bucket of water perched next to them. It rocked back and forth precariously, accompanied by the muffled giggles of the pair. Isabella gasped, and showed Phineas her watch, wrapped around her arm. "Look Phin! Look! It's finally midnight!"

Phineas shook his head with a laugh. "Why do you still use a watch, Izzy? You have a really good phone!"

She huffed, pulling her arm away from him. "Phones are for calling and texting! Watches are for telling time."

Phineas started shaking with laughter, and her facade of annoyance broke. She grinned widely, and the pair made eye contact. They stared at one another for a brief second before breaking out into yet another fit of giggles.

"Shh! Shh!" Phineas whispered desperately, his voice cracking from his laughter. He put his head on Isabella's shoulder, which was rising up and down from her uncontrollable laughter as well. "It's finally April Fool's, we gotta.." His attempt to speak was yet again interrupted by his own, and Isabella's, laughter. "No, really! We told them to be here at midnight… we can prank them to- oh my gosh, Izzy, stop!" She was making a ridiculous face at him, which caused him to laugh even harder. He didn't even hear the gang under them.

"Dinnerbell said to meet him here! Something about a great big project," Buford said irritably.

"Well, greater and bigger than our usual," Baljeet countered, before cowering under Buford's look of disdain.

"Shut up, nerd. We're missing our annual bully and nerd convention for this, so it better be worth it!" Buford stated firmly.

"I hope it takes a long, long while. Two and a half hours exactly," Baljeet said tiredly. Buford glared at him.

Isabella and Phineas had their hands over each other's mouths, their giggles muffled under each other's hands. Phineas' feet were kicking as Isabella tickled him, and his laughter was becoming more and more audible as her grip slackened; her laughter was getting the better of her too. Thank goodness Ferb hadn't fallen for their prank; he would've known they were up there before they even thought of climbing the tree.

"Maybe Dinnerbell is formally announcing his relationship with Girly?" Buford said gruffly.

Baljeet laughed. "As if! It would take a lot of ridiculously obvious hints of her affections in order to get _that_ one to even make sense to Phineas!"

Buford stared at him. "Have you even been here all summer? She's been doing that since she first met him, is what Ferb said-"

Baljeet rolled his eyes.

Phineas' constant laughter and the soft canopy of the trees muffled the conversation below them to him at least, but Isabella turned a bright red. If it kept up like this, Phineas would know about her feelings for him! Her mind racing, she used a classic Fireside Girl solution. She reached over to the back of Phineas' neck, where he was most ticklish. His eyes widened, and shook his head rapidly. She grinned, and tickled him.

His legs kicked out from the tickling, knocking the bucket of ice-cold water onto the boys below them. Their loud screams of protest got another round of laughter out of the two perched in the tree.

Baljeet's head poked inside the tree, obviously standing on Buford's shoulders. "You two! You!"

Isabella and Phineas grinned with laughter still dancing in their eyes.

"We make a good team, Izzy!" Phineas said as he wiped his eyes and contained his laughter, finally.

"We sure do, Phin!" Isabella chirped back, and the pair clapped their hands together.

**Age 26- Marriage**

Phineas and Isabella had always made a good team. From paintball to pranks, gaming to yardwork, whatever it was; they always complimented each other perfectly.

Marriage was a foregone conclusion for the two when they had gotten together, finally. They dated through college, married at graduation, and had a child shortly afterwards. They hadn't needed to take their relationship slowly; they had already known every single detail about the other person from their decade of knowing each other beforehand. They trusted each other completely, and the pacing was perfect for two so familiar with one another.

The baby had thrown its food across the room? Isabella cared for the crying child while Phineas scrubbed the spot of impact. The baby needs a lullaby? Phineas and Isabella were there to sing a duet.

Phineas would come home from his work in order to help Isabella get ready for her job in the afternoon. The two worked together to raise their child, and eventually the next, and the next after that.

When the night fell, it would always be just the two of them. Isabella would come home at 10:00, where Phineas would be waiting with a meal he had prepared for the two of them. They would cuddle on the couch as the baby slept quietly in its crib.

He would always be the first to fall asleep, his head resting on her shoulder. She would smile softly, and walk him to their room.

Their relationship, like all good relationships, was a commitment. It's a team effort, and if one person does all the heavy lifting, then it's not a good one. Phineas and Isabella never had that problem.

They were a team from the moment they first met. They always relied on one another, and spending their lives together was the ultimate reward for all of that teamwork.

**Hope you all enjoyed. Leave a request in your review, but please include your thoughts! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Stargazing

***Author's Note* This is TAGirlie's second request for a chapter; I'm working on your other request, don't worry! Anyway, this is the longest chapter for anything I've written; longer than most one-shots I write. I hope you all enjoy it!**

Age 12- Sketches

The starlight swooped over them, the soft bursts of light in the night sky hanging as if held up by a pin. Phineas and Isabella lay on top of an evergreen hill, the cool blades of grass brushing their hands. Phineas had his pencil in his mouth, the end chewed and his face scrunched up as he attempted to make out the different constellations. He gazed at Isabella to his side, also looking decidedly perplexed. Her eyes reminded him of the ocean, if the ocean could be contained in a small pool of azure heaven. He smiled to himself, and decided she was more interesting at the moment than Ferb's request to go draw constellations for his personal project. At first Phineas had found it odd that Ferb wanted him and Isabella to specifically go stargazing, but had accepted cheerfully regardless.

At that moment however, Phineas was enchanted by the girl sitting next to him. She was biting her lip, sketching into her pink notebook with a creative vigor he envied. Her personal artistic endeavors were always represented in her sketchbook, while his was all inventions and the like. He sighed softly to himself, taking in her presence detail by detail.

Her hair was up in a ponytail, one lock falling gracefully down her forehead. Her cheeks were graced with a red tinge, her confident smile etched on her face. He gazed at her further, studying her with an interest that had been inside him for the past few years. Her pink sweatshirt was in a colorful bundle to her right, a long sleeve blue shirt currently on her. The sleeves were rolled up to her forearm; he wondered if she knew how much he liked that, and happily decided to himself that she did. He was so deep into his trance that he barely noticed Isabella turn and look back at him for several seconds. When he finally did, he hopped backwards in shock, apologizing furiously.

"I'm sorry Isabella, I didn't mean to.. I didn't…" he stammered, before regaining his composure. "I was thinking about something else and I forgot who I was looking at."

Her slightly amused face disappeared, replaced with a tired look instead. "It's fine, Phineas. I expected as much."

Phineas looked at her quizzically, but she waved him off. "Let's just get back to drawing these for Ferb and go home."

They sat there in silence for a while, Phineas wrestling with what to do. When he finally came to a decision, Isabella had stood up with her book in hand.

"Good night, Phineas. Tell Ferb I tried." She picked up her sweatshirt and walked away.

He saw her figure making tentative steps in an effort to get down the hill until she took the night time's hand and vanished into it. He felt heat rise to his face, and gritted his teeth. Standing up a bit too fast, the world became a blur for a moment, the stars stretching across the sky as if their painter had been knocked down, bringing their brush across the page with them.

As his anger at himself subsided, he straightened up, tucked his notebook under his arm, and scampered down the hill with far less precision than Isabella had. He thought, for a second, that maybe looking up at the stars would bring him some comfort. Instead he continued walking, the soft and loving glow of the lights above him changing into judgemental glares as he trudged home.

Age 15- Starlight

The music bounced around the walls of the school's gym, resonating with smooth clangs in the attendees' ears. Phineas was leaning up against the wall, chatting with people both familiar and new, grinning in his ever friendly manner. His hair was still untamed, tousled and rowdy, as orderly as he had ever gotten it. His smile was friendly, and his eyes were wide and excited at all of the new people he was meeting. She made sure not to interrupt.

She walked outside, the cool spring air making a perfect escape from the ruckus and loud activity inside. She took a deep breath, letting the smell of blooming flowers hang in the air with her. When she finally released her breath, she looked out at her surroundings. The parking lot was next to empty, all the cars vacant. Most of the parents had dropped off their children for several hours, driving away until they had to come back. The parking lot was chipped and lacking in color, the black all but torn away from it. The lines of each parking spot were barely visible, the yellow fading into the ground subtly. She shook her head as if to stop her surveying of the bland, abandoned parking lot and stepped towards the benches nearby. She took a seat and jumped right off of it when a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Hey, Isabella! Why are you outside?" Phineas asked, hands stuffed in his pockets. He stood in the light of the doorway, music booming and blaring behind him. People danced in the background, the light from the dance soft and calming behind him. He had on a suit jacket with a striped shirt under it, his pants matching whatever suit the jacket had originally been a part of. His outfit was so mismatched, so awkward, and she found herself smiling despite herself. He had continued talking, but she had been too busy thinking _about_ him to actually hear him. She looked at him with a blank expression, hoping he hadn't asked a question.

"Isabella? I asked why you were out here..?" Phineas said, his eyebrows arching. "Are you okay?"

She smiled with no emotion,nodding her head vigorously. "Yeah, sorry Phineas. I'm just thinking." She looked back at the bench, subconsciously making sure it was still there before sitting down. He scurried over to her hurriedly, sitting down with a silly grin on his face.

"What's so funny Phineas?" she asked, a genuine smile of her own appearing on her face. She couldn't help it; he always brought out this side of her. His energy, his kindness… it radiated off of him, and she just loved being near him.

He turned to her, giving her the full effect of his smile. "Nothing! I just bet you want to dance; all those people in there and everything."

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "If I wanted to dance, I wouldn't have come outside, would I?" It came off in a bit of a snappy tone, but she didn't care. Her smile had vanished; he was rubbing it in her face, he _knew, _he had to know…

"Maybe you needed someone to dance with?" he stated nervously, less of a question and more of a drawn out sentence. "I mean, it's a little odd that you haven't danced with anyone all night."

Isabella gazed down at the ground once more, already familiar with its intricacies. "Nobody wants to dance with me," she said disgruntled. "Well, that's not true but… it's no one I want to dance with. Most of them are weirdos who just want to get a hand on me."

Phineas was studying her; she could feel his gaze on her as she spoke. "Are you kidding? You're a gem." Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet at his words; she could hear the slight stutter in his next couple of words, as if he had accidentally let something slip. "You're Isabella. You're the best girl on that whole dance floor." His words caught in his throat, as if this was taking all of his effort to say.

She gave him a slight smile, curving upwards on one side of her face. He took this as enough reasoning to continue.

"I just think you need at least one dance. I'm not particularly good at it, but we could try," he said, his hands finally emerging from his pockets.

Isabella turned to Phineas, looking at him fondly. "You know, Phineas, I think I'm alright. I feel better now." She scooted over to him, and took his hand, a gesture they were both used to.

"I think I would rather look at the stars."

His voice seemed caught, so he simply nodded and attempted to clear it.

"Stargazing. Sounds fun, Isabella."

They sat there for a while, smiling and laughing with one another. They sat outside on the old bench in the abandoned parking lot, music spiraling outwards to them, staring up at a world wrapped in milky starlight.

Age 16- Picnic

A midnight picnic had been his suggestion. Isabella hurriedly darted around her room, trying different clothing options. If it showed too much cleavage, Phineas would offer her his jacket to try and cover her up; he always felt that people stared at her too much. She giggled to herself at his protectiveness. Getting his jacket was a plus, but it wasn't exactly the effect she was looking for. She rummaged through her closet before finally pulling out an azure shirt, calming and warm. She would roll up her sleeves, something she knew he always liked. She popped a mint in her mouth, just in case.

She pulled on her shoes hastily, tying them in tight knots, before switching out of her rapid pace and tiptoeing quietly down the stairs. Her parents were fast asleep, but she didn't want them hearing her step outside.

He was standing there with an orange hoodie on, the hood flung back like always. His smile was radiant, and she couldn't help but return it widely. As they walked to the lake, her favorite place to hang out when they weren't inventing, they spoke excitedly. They kept their voices down, as if the whole world could hear them if they spoke too loudly as the world slept.

"You know, Isabella, I had the best idea for our next invention!" he said excitedly, tugging on her arm. He seemed to be hunched over a bit, as if it would conceal his voice. She leaned over a bit too, whispering softly.

"What's that, Phin?" she said with a hint of childish wonder in her voice; Phineas loved when she showed her interest in engineering. That resulted in her doing it very frequently.

His explanation was lost on her as she peered out onto the lake, which seemed to sparkle as much as the stars did in the night sky. Dollops of light speckled the world above them, and she smiled up at the sky.

He had finished talking as they sat down in the grass, rubbing softly against them. The world above them was illuminated in the most spectacular way.

"I haven't seen this many stars in ages, Phineas!" she said giddily, leaning against him and tugging his arm. "It's beautiful!" A younger her might have injected "and romantic" into that last part. Instead, she settled for sighing dreamily and keeping her hand on his arm. When she felt him stiffen, she let go and looked at him.

He had positioned himself so he was facing her directly, his eyes closed as if silently wishing for something. When he opened them, he smiled nervously at her. It was at that moment that she realized there was no picnic basket next to him; an odd mistake for someone planning a picnic this late at night.

"Uh, Isabella?" He started, a slight stammer in his voice. "I'm gonna be honest with you."

He took a deep breath, and let it out. His natural confidence began to flow back into his voice, filling her with relief. She smiled attentively, and he almost seemed to blush.

"I'm not a romantic; honestly, I don't really understand how this stuff works," Phineas said, his eye contact unwavering despite the nervous look he was giving off unintentionally. "I'm not good with flowers or anything, and everything I do I like to do really over the top."

"Instead of just riding a rollercoaster in a theme park, I like making huge roller coasters that jet around wherever Ferb and I please." He paused to swallow nervously.

"What are you trying to say here, Phineas?" Isabella asked, a slight hope arising in her chest.

He regained his composure, and continued talking. "Ferb wants to ask out Gretchen, but I don't think he knows just how to do it. We're used to going overboard, so it's just… it's weird to just ask her normally. You're a girl, and you're friends with her; could you maybe ask her what she likes? Or just tell me?"

She felt heat rise up to her face, and gritted her teeth. "Absolutely. Not a problem."

He looked at her in concern. "Are you okay, Isabella? You look a little red."

She sighed, her anger dissipating, replaced with hollow disappointment. "Don't worry about it Phineas."

She told him everything she knew in an attempt to help Ferb, her smile fake and tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't cry, she couldn't…

The tears poured out of her eyes, rushing down her cheeks in long streams. Phineas looked shocked, scooting over and holding her from the side worriedly.

"Isabella?! Isabella, what's wrong?" he asked desperately, confused at the sudden turn of events.

She shook her head vigorously, roughly wiping her tears from her eyes. "Don't w-worry about it. I'm done."

He knit his eyebrows. "I'm not going to stop being worried about you! What's wrong?"

She sighed, sniffling. "I don't want to talk about it, Phineas."

He paused, releasing her from his side-hug.

She turned away, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes.

_I can't believe I just broke down in front of Phineas. I can't- I need to pull myself together._

She straightened up, her eyes having a distinct lack of tears. She leaned into him as he put his arm around her cautiously, and she sighed deeply in frustration.

"How about we just sit here and look at the stars then, Isabella?" he murmured softly in her ear.

Isabella leaned against him, and gave him a slight smile. "I'd like that, Phin."

He kissed the top of her head tentatively, and she stiffened at his touch. She could feel her heart melting at his action, and she leaned against him even more.

"I'd like that a lot."

**Remember, this story is run off of the audiences' requests. Chapters don't happen without them! I'll be posting the guidelines on my profile very soon, but until then just check the last chapter's A/N.**

**Please review! It means a lot to me. Thanks for reading this!  
**


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